Treatment of bacterial vaginosis does not reduce preterm birth among high-risk asymptomatic women in fetal fibronectin positive patients.

Objective: Bacterial vaginosis (BV) is associated with preterm labor and may be positive in 15% of asymptomatic high-risk women. Fetal fibronectin (fFN) has been shown in symptomatic women to predict infection-related preterm birth. The purpose of this study was to quantitate the relationship between BV/fFN and preterm delivery in high-risk asymptomatic women.

Standardized Mississippi Protocol treatment of 190 patients with HELLP syndrome: slowing disease progression and preventing new major maternal morbidity.

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of the Mississippi Protocol (MP) to treat HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome.

Methods: Uniform early initiation of MP (corticosteroids, magnesium sulfate, systolic blood pressure control) was studied prospectively in patients admitted with severe preeclampsia/class 1 or class 2 HELLP syndrome.

Results: One hundred and ninety patients between 2000 and 2007 received MP without suffering maternal death, stroke, or liver rupture.

HELLP syndrome with and without eclampsia.

We assessed pregnancy outcomes for patients with HELLP syndrome (hemolysis; elevated liver enzymes; low platelet count) with and without concurrent eclampsia. We performed a retrospective investigation of data spanning three decades of patients with class 1 or 2 HELLP syndrome with concurrent eclampsia (HELLP + E) and patients with HELLP syndrome without eclampsia. Data were analyzed by appropriate tests for continuous or categorical outcomes with differences considered significant if P < 0.

Fetal fibronectin and bacterial vaginosis are associated with preterm birth in women who are symptomatic for preterm labor.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to codify the relationship between bacterial vaginosis/fetal fibronectin and preterm labor/birth.

Study Design: In this prospective study, 185 women who were symptomatic for preterm labor were assessed for bacterial vaginosis and fetal fibronectin.

Results: These women comprised 4 groups: group A (n=23 women; +bacterial vaginosis/+fetal fibronectin); group B (n=31 women; -bacterial vaginosis/+fetal fibronectin); group C (n=47 women; +bacterial vaginosis/-fetal fibronectin); and group D (n=84 women; -bacterial vaginosis/-fetal fibronectin).